Just another day
by niuxen
Summary: For Tumblr drabble prompt "Please don't make me socialize". Valentine's Day modern AU edition.


Rey groaned miserably and plopped to Finn's bed, twisting and turning. She faked wailing and covered herself with a blanket, but couldn't stop a giggle when her roommate looked at her with disapproval from his bathroom.

„Can you stop that?" Finn scoffed, buttoning a checkered shirt.

Rey peeked from under the blanket. „Please, don't make me socialize. You know I'm bad at it."

Finn shook his head. „I'm well aware, we both are as befits engineering students."

Another lament sounded from under the blankets. „Then why are we doing this?"

„I want you to meet Rose, it's time," he admitted and returned to the bathroom.

Rey stuck her nose in the air and followed him. „Why on Valentine's Day though? This seems like the least romantic idea ever," she asked and sat down on the closed toilet.

„Believe me, she doesn't mind. She's actually looking forward meeting you," her friend answered weirdly, his gaze avoiding her hard stare in the mirror.

„Finn," Rey warned, knowing her best friend all too well. „What's the catch?"

He rolled his eyes and walked past Rey back to his tiny room. It was the only type of apartment two working students could afford. „There's no catch," Finn said quickly. „Remember what you said yesterday?"

Rey's nose crinkled. „That even my brother's got a date on Valentine's and I don't?"

Finn leaned over the windowsill and took a peek at the street, searching for a taxi he ordered. „Yup."

„What's wrong with it? I'm happy for Ben. I mean, I happen to know Archie Hux, he's a great aircraft architect but hell must've froze if my brother has a date," Rey accented on the last part. „Thanks, peanut, but I don't need a pity party."

Her best friend grabbed the keys from the desk and walked over to the coat hanger. „Look, sunshine, it's totally up to you," Finn sighed and put on his brown leather jacket. „You're the one making a big deal out of it. I'm not asking you to chaperone a dinner by candlelight, it's just a beer at Jimmy's. No pity party."

A sound of car horn reached the living room.

„You comin'?" Finn asked one, last time and opened the front door.

Rey narrowed her eyes. „Well, I do feel like onion rings, anyway," she admitted and ran to her room. „Gonna change real quick."

It was Finn's turn to groan. He knew her 'quick' style, thank you very much.

„I should've gone with jeans instead of a dress," Rey grimaced when she stepped out of the taxi. She peeked inside the pub through the windows and found people inside weren't dressed much different than on a regular night.

Finn stood up behind her and put his wallet inside his jacket. „You're fine. I'm just happy we finally got here. There's Rose," he said and pointed to a petite, dark-haired girl on the other side of the bar.

Rey was about to remark how cute Rose is when she shrieked, „FINN LUCAS YOUNG."

Rose wasn't sitting alone. On the other side of her table was sitting a well-built, dark-haired man. Rey was able to see his back only, but Rose seemed very much entertained with the story he was telling, gesticulating vividly with each word.

„Goddammit, I will kill you, I knew it! I walked into this blind date like a lamb into slaughter," Rey spat and hit Finn's thigh with her small purse.

Finn put his palms over Rey's shoulders as she shook with rage. „Calm down, it's not a date I swear."

„Does he know about it?" Rey asked wryly and nodded towards the bar, tightening the coat around her.

„He doesn't know you're coming," Finn breathed, a little tired by his friend's mood. „You decided last second to go, remember?"

Rey made a sour face. „Well, if you put it like that."

„Listen," Finn started and lowered his hands. „Poe's great, believe me. He really saved my ass last month, lending me his notes for the physics test. That's how I met him, he's your mother's new assistant."

„Great, he knows my mother?" Rey grunted, interrupting him. „I need a drink right now."

„Don't worry, first round is on me," he reassured her.

„You better."

Then his look softened. „Just between you and me, please don't bring it up. His co-pilot died in a crash a couple weeks ago, he needs all the distractions."

Rey looked terrified. „No! The controller's malfunction?"

„That one," Finn confirmed. „We good?"

„Good," she whispered, feeling like a total bitch, and followed him into the crowded pub.

It was loud and foggy inside, and their usual table was pushed to the side to make room for a dance floor in front of the live band playing. Rey winced as she walked by - the things people did for Valentine's day. The fanciest way she ever celebrated it must've been drinking a whole box of wine with her ex, behind old swimming hall in the hole of a town she and Finn grew up in.

Valentine's - it just wasn't her thing. Her head turned towards the table, where Finn's friends were sitting at in a company of beer mugs. Now that could be her thing, she thought and watched them talk happily.

Her eyes focused on Finn's girlfriend as they approached them. At first, Rey ignored the male friend, less torn about his presence, more wanting to give full attention to Rose. After all, she heard so much about her and in all honesty Rey was just as curious to meet her.

Finn leaned over the table to give a quick kiss on Rose's cheek and made space for the girls to meet.

„Hi!" the smaller woman squealed and clapped her hands, before pulling Rey into a hug. „Thanks for coming, I've heard so much about you from Finn."

Rey almost choked due to the amount of strength this little person put into the hug, however, felt genuinely delighted with this warm welcome. „Thank you. Same to you," she creaked and gesticulated awkwardly.

Then she looked to her right where Finn greeted Poe with a bear hug and a couple of pats on the back.

She hated everything and everyone in that moment, fully aware she froze while gawking at the man. It was typical for a military man to be well-built but this one was ridiculously handsome to it. Rey found herself quickly studying his face with a verdict of liking it and liking it a lot.

Poe approached her, tactfully ignoring her weirdness. „Hi, I'm Poe," he introduced himself and extended a hand towards her. „Poe Dameron."

„Rey Solo," she managed to reply while shaking his hand. Was she smiling? It felt like she put everything into it, yet somehow she wasn't sure.

„I know," he replied and smiled widely at her, „Finn told me about you too."

Rey shot a dirty look towards her best friend.

„What?" he asked and put up hands, „We're friends since we've been 7, we're flatmates, you're a big part of my life, shoot me."

„I just hope you didn't share the embarrassing parts," Rey warned and sat next to Rose, who made space for her by moving to the other seat.

„Don't worry, the night's still young and believe me, these stories are the best," Finn grinned and winked at Rose, who giggled and covered her mouth.

Poe cleared his throat and rolled up the sleeves of his cream shirt. „Can I get you anything to drink, girls?"

Rose raised her half-full glass. „I'm still good, thanks."

„Rey?"

„Anything dark, not sweet, from the tap, thank you," she answered and wanted to fall underground when Poe looked at her funnily, eyes narrowed and a corner of his mouth quirked up.

„I'll join you in a second, Poe," Finn replied and took his and Rey's coats to a hanger.

Rey shut her eyes, eyebrows furrowed, waiting for inevitable.

„Wow," Finn laughed. Damn him, he knew her too well. „That went relatively smooth, even though you went full deer in the headlights there."

„Shut up," Rey spat and forced a smile at Rose, who was watching two friends with interest. When Finn joined Poe at the bar, she added, „Sorry, about that."

Rose fixed her bean hat and smiled back at Rey. „That's okay. You're fun to watch, it's like me and my sister when one of us is in a mood," she assured.

From the moment boys came back with drinks and Rey relaxed as she poured the liquid courage into herself, the evening turned quite pleasant. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed so much. As she listened to Rose narrate how she met Finn sneaking out of student research group she was in charge of, Poe recounting his friendly quarrels with General Organa-Solo, and Finn tell about their infamous high-school shenanigans Rey thought she almost missed all of that if she decided to stay home.

„So, I heard you're quite a pilot yourself," Poe interjected around Rey's third beer and leaned over the table so she could hear him in the loud local, while Finn and Rose were arguing over the names of The Care Bears.

„Uh, yeah," Rey confirmed and bent, so their heads were really close. „I've got a license so I can borrow my father's Cessna from time to time."

Poe's eyes widened. „Really? Impressive. BeeBee would love a flight with you."

„I'm sorry?" confused Rey sputtered. „B-what?"

His eyes glistened as he chortled lightly, „My dog. He's a weird one, loves to fly with me whenever he can ever since he was a pup. It started as a joke, but believe me, the look of indescribable happiness he has whenever I can take him with me... You just have to see it."

„I'd like that," Rey giggled and dared herself look directly into his warm, chocolate eyes. „I love dogs, never was allowed to have one, though."

„Why not?" Poe asked curiously and ran a hand through his black hair. Rey's gaze followed his movement and suddenly her hands itched.

Rey shrugged before answering, „My brother was allowed a hamster for a test when he was 14 and I was 6."

„And?"

„Let's just say it did not go well, my father was very unhappy having to organize a hamster funeral two weeks later."

Poe hissed, „Ouch, poor fella."

They easily continued their conversation until around 1 A.M. Poe looked at his wristwatch. „I really need to run, let my furry friend out before I find a present on my carpet."

„Oh, sure," Rey breathed, suppressing a growing disappointment inside her chest. „I think I'll leave soon too," she continued and nodded towards their friends. Rose was now comfortably sitting in Finn's lap, as they were sharing a slow kiss.

Finn heard her alright though and broke from Rose. „Do you want us to go with you, Rey?"

Rey shook her head. She didn't mean to interrupt them, and she knew how Finn was always concerned with her safety. „No, thanks, I'll catch a cab."

„We can catch a cab together?" Poe offered as he helped Rey put on a coat. „As far as I remember I live only three blocks down from you."

„Thanks, man," Finn said and he and Rose stood up to say their goodbyes.

Rey did not understand why, but when she and Poe left the pub heavy silence fell between them. As they waited for their taxi, she tried starting the conversation anew but failed to get the words out.

10 minutes later they were sitting in the back of the car when Rey allowed herself to take a peek at Poe. He was looking out the window as if contemplating over something intensively.

„So, hey," Rey forced herself to talk, causing his head to turn in her direction. „Thanks for the beer, if BeeBee would like to be my passenger-"

„Can I kiss you?" he blurted out, completely stunning Rey.

Rey blinked a couple of times, wondering if she heard him correctly. „I'm sorry?"

„Would you allow me to kiss you right now?" Poe repeated slowly, but with more confidence.

„Yes," was the only thing Rey managed to breathe before he got closer.

She clung to him, allowing herself to support her hands on his shoulders, as his mouth closed on hers. He cupped her left cheek in his palm and pressed his body into hers. They struggled a bit with the position until Poe was pushed back to his seat, Rey at his side, no space between them.

The faintest of moans came from both of them and a thought that she was hitting all the cliches that night fled through Rey's mind. The confusing part was she was loving it.

Just when Rey tilted her head to give Poe better access the taxi stopped at her address.

„I'd ask you to come up with me, but I know you've got a friend waiting for you at home," Rey said and handed the driver her part of the payment, smiling softly at a breathy Poe.

„Yeah," Poe managed to say, looking like a walk in this freezing temperature could do him a solid. „I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Rey was already out the door and answered him through the lowered window, „You don't have my number."

Poe waved his phone in front of him, „Trust me, by the morning I'll have it."

She laughed and waved as the cab drove off.

Valentine's Day, who knew?


End file.
